Defrosting
by C0ld As Ice
Summary: The only thing that can warm the White Queen's cold heart is the X-Men's resident ice cube. How much closer can 2 people who once shared a body get? And is either willing?
1. Chapter 1

Defrosting

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men, but I kinda wish I did. At least I'd try to write them better. Comments are always welcome, but I'd prefer if you'd keep your flames. I'm not sure if my weak fragile writer's ego can take it.

I guess this is an AU, because I don't really follow what's going on in comics of late, and as far as I'm concerned, Emma never dated Scott.

* * *

It's one of those rare nights at the mansion where it is quiet and void of commotion. The respective members of the X-Men are out doing various things, enjoying their downtime before 

the students start returning for the oncoming semester. Tonight Bobby Drake finds himself with the mansion all to himself. After numerous games of pool, Bobby is officially bored. He places the pool cue on the table, deciding to try his luck with the tv, when something flashes past the doorway of the rec-room. Bobby quietly hops over the back of the couch, sneaking to the doorway to investigate the blur. His fists are clenched, ready for anything. When he peers around the corner and sees what has caused the blur, he almost wishes he hadn't gotten off the couch at all.

"Emma." Bobby says monotonously. He realizes he isn't alone in the mansion now, though considering the company, he almost wishes he were.

"Robert." Emma acknowledges him blankly. She had sensed his presence in the mansion and had no desire to stop and speak. Unfortunately for her, getting to her destination leaves her no choice but to walk by the rec room.

"Gee, Em, you're all sweaty," Bobby grins. "What have you been doing?" He's bored and wants to entertain himself by getting under her skin.

"I was working out, something you might want to consider sometime instead of sitting in front of the television all day. Now if you don't mind . . . " Emma lets her voice carry off to insinuate the conversation is over. She turns and heads back toward the stairs.

Emma doesn't take his bait and walks away. Bobby doesn't want to spend the entire night alone and he considers it for a moment before calling out. "Hey Emma, wait a sec."

He jogs to catch up to her and she stops to hear what he has to say. "Yes Robert?" She says with a bored tone in her voice.

Suddenly he's intimidated by her and the look in her eyes makes him feel insecure. "Umm...Do you have any plans tonight?"

"Why?" Although her expression is simply an amused smirk, she is secretly intrigued.

Her response catches him off-guard. "I was- umm I was wondering well...everyone is out but us, and I don't want to hang around here all night by myself. So umm, do you wanna get some food and catch a movie or something?"

Emma's face remains as stoic as ever as she listens to his proposition. She takes a long pause before answering to weigh her options. She really doesn't want to stay in all night either. Instead of letting him know this, she answers with a cold "Alright."

"Alright? Ok. How bout we meet back here in a half hour?"

"Forty-five."

"Forty-five minutes? How long does it take you to get dressed? You hardly wear anything." He laughs to himself before continuing. "Fine, forty-five it is, but can you at least wear something not rated R?"

"What exactly, is wrong with my attire?" Emma puts her hand on her hip, glaring at him.

"Nothing...'cept well, there ain't much of it."

"I'll wear something...more appropriate. But, since we're on the subject of attire, do not wear any of your frumpy shorts or character t-shirts."

"Hey! My clothes are not frumpy." Bobby protests.

Emma simply looks at him, daring him to try and argue. Knowing it is an argument he can't win, he accepts the small defeat, and with a grin, makes the deal even sweeter.

"No white."

His request shocks her, and for a second he thinks he sees a glimmer of surprise in her eyes, but it quickly disappears.

"No blue." She says, rising to his challenge.

"Not a prob, Em. See ya in forty-five."

Both head up the stairs and turn in opposite directions like fighters going to their corners.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby glances at his watch for the umpteenth time since returning to the rec room. The allotted fourty-five minutes is nearly up, and he's spent the better part of the last 10 minutes smoothing out his shirt and checking his collar in the mirror. He can't remember the last time he wore a button up shirt for something other than a funeral or special occasion. As he paces in place, he's already beginning to dread what he's sure will be a night in hell. He groans inwardly as he thinks of various disasters than can happen tonight and fights the urge to run while he has the chance. It's too late for him to bail now, for her hears her approaching footsteps around the corner. Bobby sighs again and his breath catches in his throat when Emma emerges from around the corner.

"Emma!... You um... You look nice." Bobby manages to spew out. She has kept her word; her outfit is appropriate and she isn't wearing white. She looks very attractive to him this way, but he'd never admit it out loud. Finally collecting himself, Bobby adds, "I didn't know you owned pants, let alone black ones."

Emma smirks at his remark as she takes in his appearance. It's his turn to be scrutinized. She mentally notes the improvement of his appearance when he's neatly dressed. Instead of letting him know this, she decides to play his game.

"You look nice as well Robert. I didn't know you had a comb, let alone anything with buttons. I thought they might be too difficult for you."

Bobby grins at her comeback. Maybe if she keeps up the banter, the evening won't be a complete disaster. "Good one, Emma. Ready to go?"

"Sure."

"I'm driving."

"Wouldn't it be safer to use my driver?"

"What's the fun in that? We don't need the limo, we can take my car."

"Perhaps I should borrow Logan's helmet."

"Hey! I'm not that bad of a driver."

"You're not that good either."

"Geez, those pants must be magical or something. They're giving you the power of witty remarks."

"Side effect of my mutation."

"Funny. Guess I have it too."

Bobby laughs and double takes at Emma walking beside him. She's smiling. He's shocked. She's actually smiling, and it isn't her usually forced one thin-lipped grin. Bobby can't believe she's acting so...normal. He didn't know she had the ability. Bobby's never seen her in this light, and when he thinks about it, he doubts any of the others have either. He's only saw her as the "White Queen", Emma Frost, with the heart of ice. She rarely shows any emotion, and isn't the type to laugh out loud, so he is more than happy with a smile. Bobby quickly remembers Emma's telepathy, and doesn't want her to hear anything he doesn't want her to. As he clicks his seat belt, he turns to her.

"Let's make a deal; no powers tonight. Let's just have fun."

After some thought, Emma agrees. It wasn't so long ago that Emma would have been trepidatious to do so, but since her secondary mutation manifested, in which she has no access to her telepathic abilities, it isn't an issue anymore.

Neither of them speak as Bobby drives to the gate. The awkward silence in the car and the empty silence in Emma's mind is deafening and she's not sure how much longer she can take it.

"Since you get to drive, I"m at least choosing the radio station." Emma says, already turning the radio to her desired frequency. Once she finds the station she wants, she sits back and listens to the music. Even relaxing, her back is stiff with posture.

"Wow, I never pictured you as a rock fan."

"Let me guess, you thought my collection entirely classical?"

"Honestly, yeah I guess I did. I didn't know you had good taste in music, I listen to this station all the time."

The silence between them resurfaces as they make their way into the busier section of Salem Center, but it is no longer awkward. As Bobby observes the townspeople out on the town, he isn't sure where he wants to go. The easy choice would be to get fast food, but he doubts Emma would want any. He can't even recall a time he ever saw her touch the stuff. To be honest, he wasn't in the mood for any either. As Bobby slows at a red light, he remembers a small café he used to frequent but hasn't visited in a long time. He decides it's the perfect place to go.

"There's this little café type place I know of that's a couple streets over. Wanna check it out?"

"Sounds fine." Emma replies. She is relieved he didn't choose the burger place on the corner.

* * *

As Bobby parks the car, Emma scrutinizes the place. It's not a place she'd ever consider him to go to. She considers Chuck E. Cheese much more his style than this quaint, cozy place. Bobby holds the door open for her as she enters the Café. It's quiet and cozy, with the faint hum of patrons talking and soft music playing. An older woman walks towards them to seat them, but as she approaches, a large smile spreads across her face and her steps quicken. 

"Bobby? Is that you?" She asks in an excited voice.

"Abby! It's so good to see you."

Abby walks right up to him, embracing him in a huge hug, not even appearing to notice Emma standing beside him. When they pull apart, her happy visage has evolved into a stern expression.

"Where on Earth have ya been boy? We ain't seen ya 'round here in ages. You know you're my favorite customer."

"I'm sorry. Things have been pretty hectic and I've been really busy. I'll make up for it with a big ol' tip tonight."

"You better." She replies, her face reverting to her gentle smile. "I know you've been busy, but you ain't been too busy to forget your manners. Aren't ya gonna introduce me to your pretty friend here?"

"Abby, this is Emma. Emma, Abby."

"Nice to meet you." Emma says politely.

"Oh the pleasures all mine Honey. Any friend of Bobby's is a friend of mine. Now, let me seat y'all at the best table I've got."

Abby leads them to a small table set off somewhat in the back. She hands each of them a menu, and pulls a tablet out of her worn apron.

"Now what would y'all like to drink? Let's see if this old bird still has it; vanilla bean frapp, extra cream, chocolate sprinkles?"

"You're the greatest Abby." Bobby says with a smile.

"Glad ta see I still got it. And what will you have dear?"

"Cappuccino please."

After Abby finishes writing it down, she heads off to get their beverage orders while they peruse the menus in silence. It isn't until she returns with their drinks and takes their food orders and leaves that they finally start talking.

"She sure seems fond of you for some reason." Emma states with a lilt of humor in her tone.

"I used to walk around town a lot when I first came to the school. I passed by one day and it smelled so good that I just had to come in. I used to come in here at least once a month. Abby's always taken good care of me ever since the first time I walked in here. She's one of the kindest people you'll ever find in New York.

They continue to talk about casual things and after their food arrives, it takes a more serious and nostalgic turn.

"How was life before Xavier's?" Emma asks.

Bobby takes a long sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving the cup as he answers flatly, "Cold."

"I'm sorry?"

"Lemme explain. I thought my powers manifested in my teens right before I came to the mansion, but that's not true. I've had them since birth. Mom told me I froze the tub once right before she was going to give me a bath. She didn't wanna wait for the tub to thaw out, so she took me in the kitchen and I froze the sink too. Mom said I did that a lot, but I don't remember any of it. Then somehow, my powers just 'went away' for a few years. Dad hoped it was for good, so he told my Mom to never tell me about it."

Bobby takes a bite of his sandwich before continuing. "If I never got sick, I bet they never would've told me."

"Sick?"

"Yeah. When I was about 11, I started getting sick a lot. I mean really sick. I was always cold. It'd be 90 degrees out, and I would be shivering in sweatshirts. For about 2 years I saw tons of doctors, but none of em could figure it out. They all said I was catching the flu, or I had pneumonia, or low iron in my blood, but they didn't really know. No one knew til one day I got so cold my whole body turned to ice. Then that was all she wrote..."

Emma stares into her cup as his story sinks in. Their conversation has taken a turn Emma hadn't planned on. She never imagined that the two of them would have a conversation this in depth. Hearing him recall the first manifestations of his powers only makes her remember the horrible memories she tries to force down.

"What about you? Do you remember when your powers started manifesting?" Bobby asks.

She knew the question was inevitable, she didn't need her telepathy for that. Her features are hard and stoic, her gaze rigid yet distant. Emma takes a long sip of her cappuccino stalling for time, but the memories continue to play through her mind.

The first memories to coalesce in her thoughts are fragments from her time in the mental institution. She recalls being strapped down to the bed when the voices were too much for her to bear, screaming her lungs out as her limbs were placed in restraints. She relives for the millionth time the first night they come into her room... and her attempts at resisting and fighting back to no avail. The numerous occurrences of that scenario blur past her, her attempts at resistance getting weaker until she no longer fights back.

The sound of clanging dishes wakes her from her reverie.

"Oh my God Emma." Bobby says, shock evident on his face.

"What?" Emma asks confused.

"I had no idea."

"What are you talking about?" Her tone sounding agitated with a hint of her coldness returning.

"I didn't know you went through that."

She glares at him until her eyes widen with realization.

"How did you? My powers are shielded. I certainly did not project."

"I don't know how I saw what I saw, but I did."

Emma realizes he's seen a part of her past she's kept hidden from everyone. She fumbles with her things, finally grabbing her purse. She doesn't need this right now.

"I have to go."

"Wait."

Emma rises from the table in a hurry and Bobby gets up to follow her. He pulls out his wallet and throws some cash on the table. After all, he promised Abby a good tip.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To Be Continued...

Keep on reading. And please leave a review, I'd really appreciate it.


	2. Chapter 2

Defrosting Ch 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own the X-Men, but Marvel, if you wanna send a belated Christmas gift my way, then this is definitely the way to go.

Reviews make me happy. Even if it's just a lil comment on a part or a line of dialogue you liked:)

* * *

Emma pushes through the doors of the diner and once outside releases a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. It had begun to rain while they were in the café, but she doesn't seem to notice or care. She walks quickly down the sidewalk, preparing to hail a cab when someone grabs her arm and pulls her into an alley.

"Take your hand off me." Emma says defiantly, ready to strike.

"Calm down. It's me, Bobby."

Emma looks up and is relieved. She unclenches her fists, but her sense of relief quickly fades when she remembers that it is him she's trying to get away from.

"Let me go Robert." Her voice is low, cold, and void of any emotion.

"Not 'til you tell me what the Hell happened back there."

"I don't owe you any explanation."

"I think you're just as clueless as I am. Some fractured images from your memories pop up in my head and neither one of us can explain it."

"Just drop it." Emma says sharply.

"Why?"

"It doesn't concern you." She tries to pull away from him, but he doesn't let her.

"It does now. I saw something-"

"You shouldn't have seen anything!" Her voice rises. It is the only outward act of emotion she shows.

"Whether I was suppose to or not, I did. I only saw bits and pieces but I could feel your fear. I know whatever it was, what _I _think it was, was pretty painful. Even for you."

Emma stays silent for a while. She contemplates erasing his memory like those in the past, but decides against it for now. Instead, she tries something completely different.

"Do you know why I wear white?" She looks everywhere but at him while waiting for an answer.

Emma's question catches Bobby completely off-guard. It's something Bobby has pondered numerous times, but never in a million years would ask. Now the question is in front of him. His impulse is to answer with a joke, but he decides against it.

"No."

"White is representative of many things. Peace . . . cleanliness . . . " With each word it is harder for her to speak. Bobby knows she is trying to stay stoic, but he also knows she is failing at it. To see Emma Frost even near an emotional display is a sight rarely viewed. Bobby understands the significance and lets her take as much time as needed. The rain drenching them doesn't even matter.

"Innocence . . . purity. Everything that was ever innocent and pure about me was stolen in that damned place! All I cherished and held dear was destroyed. Now, all that's left . . . is this cold heartless shell. I wear white as a false hope of regaining what was taken from me."

Bobby stands still, never moving his gaze from her eyes even though she still refuses to look at him. He's never seen her like this before, nor has he ever seen such emotion in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Bobby says sympathetically.

"I don't want your pity." She says sharply, a stark contrast to the softer tone she previously spoke in.

"It's not pity Emma. You know that."

"Do I? I'm not sure what I know right now." Her eyes cut away and her hands start to glimmer, the glow slowly crawling up her arms."

"Don't. I know what you're gonna do."

"You're smarter than you let on." Her words bite, but he doesn't take the bait. He knows her words only stem from pain.

"Smart enough to know you're taking the easy way out. Changing forms so you won't feel anything."

"Your point?"

"This ain't like you Emma. You never run away or hide from anything." Bobby gently shakes her shoulders to add impact to his words. This gesture seems to work and the vulnerable side of Emma returns.

"I don't want to feel. I'm tired of this pain. I don't want to feel anything." Her voice quivers but he pretends not to notice.

"What about before you could shift? You can't shift forms every time something rough comes along. It'll never go away if you don't at least try to deal with things. They'll eat at you every time you revert back. They'll eat at you forever.".

After a long moment of silent contemplation, Emma finally whispers, "You're right."

The glimmer fades away from her hands. Bobby releases his hold on her and she turns away from him. A tear falls, but it quickly disappears among the raindrops cascading down her cheeks

"Emma." Bobby says softly. He places a hand on her shoulder, trying to turn her back to face him but she shrugs him off.

"Please Robert, I've embarrassed myself more than enough tonight. I don't think I can take you seeing me cry."

"Well then, I promise I won't look."

Before Emma can protest, Bobby quickly pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her. She tries to pull away, but he won't let her. Emma leans back and looks up at him angrily, but her expression quickly turns to shock.

Bobby's eyes are closed. Bobby pulls her closer to him, but this time she doesn't protest. Instead, she does something completely out of character and breaks down in his arms. It's been years since anyone has seen Emma cry, but because she always erased their memories after, no one ever remembered. She can always erase Bobby's memories, but she doesn't think about that right now. Instead she continues to cry against his chest and throughout, Bobby keeps his word; he never opens his eyes.

* * *

After the sobs cease, they decide to skip the movie and head back to the mansion. They sit in silence during the drive, neither really knowing what to say. Emma is wrapped up in a jacket, staring blankly out the window. Her mind is sorting through tonight's events. Before the evening took a turn for the worse, she was actually enjoying herself. It was refreshing to let her guard down for once. Emma never thought her and Drake could have such a good time. She has to admit he was surprisingly pleasant company.

The closer they get to the mansion, the weather seems to improve. The rain has lightened up considerably but Bobby is still chilled and his clothes are soaked. Tonight's events have his mind reeling. Emma Frost, former enemy, the rigid White Queen has acted in ways he'd never seen before. She had been outgoing and funny and they had a good time together. The fragmented images in his head he got from her are too confusing to comprehend, so he tries to forget about them for now. Instead he recalls what happened in the alleyway and tries to imagine the image of her crying in his arms. He has nothing to base it on, for he's never seen Emma cry. Despite how much he wanted, he kept his word and never opened his eyes. Bobby quickly changes his train of thought when he remembers Emma is a telepath and he hopes she isn't listening to his thoughts.

After parking in the garage, they exit the car, the silence between them making Bobby feel awkward.

"Looks like everyone is still out." Bobby states, trying to get conversation started between them again.

Emma says nothing, only nodding in agreement. Bobby digs his hands in his pockets as they walk. "Sorry tonight didn't go as planned."

"I've learned that as an X-Man, hardly anything ever goes _as planned_."

"Yeah," Bobby chuckles. "Y'know, I had a lot of fun tonight. Til well . . . y'know."

"Me too."

"I really don't want the night to end on a bad note, so I'm gonna invite you to join me in a tradition of mine."

"And what would that be?"

"Usually I do this in my room, but when I have the mansion all to myself, I plop myself down in front of the big screen and pig out on pop corn and root beer floats."

"Why am I not surprised?" Emma says sarcastically.

"Since we didn't get to see a movie while we were out, I'm inviting you to join me. That is, if you want to. The ones that aren't staying at Warren's won't be back for a few hours anyway."

Emma contemplates spending the rest of the night alone and doesn't really want to. For some reason, she decides to take him up on his offer.

"Why not?"

"Great. But just so you know, there are some rules."

"Really?" Emma says, arching an eyebrow.

"Just a couple. It's mandatory that you have at least one root beer float, and you have to wear something comfortable. No frilly lingerie or any of that crap."

"The last one must be hard for you."

"Hallelujah! The sense of humor's back!" Bobby yells.

She smiles at his behavior.

"Ok. Go take a shower and clean up or whatever. I'll see ya when you're done."

* * *

Nearly half an hour later, Emma sneaks quietly toward the kitchen, wary one of the others will come home and see her. She's having second thoughts about her decision, but instead of retreating back up the stairs, she decides that if worse comes to worse, she can still erase the memories of the night. As she gets closer, she can hear movement in the kitchen and knows Bobby is already downstairs. She sneaks to the doorway, observing him for a few moments undetected.Bobby is standing behind the counter, only his upper body visible as he searches through the cabinets. Once he finds what he's looking for, he comes around the counter to get something from the refrigerator, still unaware of her presence. She smirks and rolls her eyes because he is wearing the most hideous pair of shorts she has ever seen.

"Those are lovely." She says sarcastically.

"Aren't they the greatest? Jubes got 'em for me." He grins and turns to face her.

Bobby's mouth drops, but he quickly recovers. She's leaning against the door frame in a white t-shirt and pastel shorts. Her wet hair is in a loose ponytail with stray strands framing her face. At first he hardly recognized her, and now he can't remember seeing her look as beautiful as she does right now.

"Problem Robert? Am I not following your rules well enough?"

"No-no you're fine. You pass." He stammers.

"Is there anything you'd like me to do?"

"Uh, how bout grabbing a bowl for the popcorn, it'll be done any minute. I'm almost done here."

As Emma gets a bowl, Bobby teases, "Tell anyone about this and I may have to freeze your underwear."

"That is only if I'm wearing any."

Her unexpected remark causes Bobby to choke on a sip of root beer he's sneaked. He doesn't turn to look at her, instead focusing intently on scooping the ice cream for the floats. He's blushing at her comment and doesn't want her to see. She smiles inwardly at his behavior, glad to have the power in her favor again.

Once Bobby collects himself, he catches himself inadvertently stealing glances at her as she watches the popcorn. He knows she can be an impatient person, and the way she's rattling her nails on the counter makes it even more apparent. He's still having difficulty believing that _the_ White Queen is standing across from him. This whole evening seems to go against everything he ever knew about her. He's never seen her act, let alone dress like this before. He can't get over how normal and beautiful she looks.

'_Snap out of it,'_ he mentally chides himself. _'You can't possibly like the White Queen.'_

The chime of the microwave wakes him from his reverie. After he puts everything away, Bobby carries the drinks while Emma follows with the popcorn.

* * *

After putting in a movie, Bobby sits next to Emma on the couch. Relaxing, Bobby sits back and props his feet on the table. Emma is sitting on the edge of the seat, her back straight as an arrow.

"Relax a lil. This ain't a business meeting." He teases.

Emma scoots back against the couch, tucking one of her feet under her.

"I guess that's better." Bobby says between bites of popcorn.

As they watch the movie, they have casual conversations and enjoy their snacks. After the snacks are gone, Emma offers to take the dishes to the kitchen.

"Should I take a picture or something?"

"No one would believe you. This is a once in a lifetime thing so enjoy it."

* * *

Emma places the dishes in the dishwasher before returning to the rec room. When she reenters, she is met by snoring. In the brief amount of time that she was out of the room, Bobby has fallen asleep. She turns off the tv and throws a blanket on him. He looks so peaceful, and for a brief moment, Emma is slightly envious. Her sleep is rarely peaceful. She heads to her room, turning off the lights as she exits.

* * *

To be continued...

Reviews would be lovely!


	3. Chapter 3

Defrosting Part 3

Disclaimer: They're still not mine. Marvel still owns them, but best believe if they're ever put on Ebay, I'll be placing a bid. I hope you're still reading, and as always Reviews are most welcome!

* * *

The next few days pass without incident and Bobby hardly sees Emma. She has spent a lot of time in her office, and when they have run into each other, it seems as though Emma finds a reason to excuse herself and leave the room not long after. Other than training and the occasional word here or there, they've hardly spoken and not a word has been said of that night. The Emma he discovered has been nowhere in sight. Instead, the White Queen seems colder and more unreachable than ever. 

Bobby finds himself reminiscing about that night frequently. He really enjoyed that evening, a fact he is still having trouble with believing. Emma seemed like a completely different person, not the same woman he usually butts heads with. She wasn't cold and malicious but rather pleasant and surprisingly good company. They even had similar tastes in music, which was something he never expected. To be honest, he didn't think he'd ever have much in common with Emma Frost.

The events of the night left Bobby seeing her in a different light. Her walls had been lowered, if only briefly. He kept recalling the image of her standing in the doorway. It was at that moment that he really began to see her in a way he never thought possible. In her simplicity, he found her the most beautiful. But Bobby, and pretty much any one who ever laid eyes on her saw Emma's beauty. The difference is, Bobby finds himself more attracted to the plainclothes Emma that he met that night than any White Queen incarnation he's ever come across. He hopes he can find that side of her again.

Except for the weird incident at the café, and perhaps his falling asleep on her, Bobby is fairly certain she had fun that night too. Now it feels as though Emma is avoiding him and he is determined to find out why.

* * *

Bobby searches the mansion, finally finding Emma in her office. He knocks on the door before entering. 

"Yes?" Emma says, looking up from her desk.

"Got a sec?"

"Now is not the best time, I'm rather busy." Emma says, her gaze returning to the paperwork on her desk.

"It won't be long?"

"Fine." Emma says with an exasperating sigh.

She rises from her chair and comes around to the other side of her desk, propping herself against it. A bored expression plays across her face as she waits to hear what he has to say.

Her cold demeanor slightly intimidates him but he manages to get his thoughts together to ask what he's been wanting to know.

"Why are you avoiding me Emma?"

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Yeah, you are. I know it."

"That's ridiculous." She dismisses his claim with a scoff.

"You've hardly said three words to me since the other night."

"The semester is right around the corner and I have a lot to do. I've been busy. I've hardly spoken to anyone.

"You're hiding." Bobby says, crossing his arms to mimic her stance.

"From what? I have nothing to hide from." Emma's tone is annoyed, and her stance has become slightly defensive.

"I don't know. From me, from you, who knows? All I know is that night you were you, and now you're... not"

"What are you babbling about? I am always me."

"No you're not. Around here you act like the White Queen, always cold and distant. That night you let some of you walls down and you were the real Emma. I know no one's seen you act like that before."

"What's your point? What do you want Robert?" She says, agitation apparent in her voice. She's not saying that he's right, but she's also not denying it either.

"I just want to know, why? Why'd you show me that side of yourself?"

For the first time in the conversation, Emma averts her gaze. "I... don't know."

"You don't know?" Bobby presses.

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me Emma. Please."

She sighs again, but there is no animosity or annoyance this time. She looks at him again briefly, and notes the sincerity in his features. She looks away again before answering.

"For some strange reason... I feel comfortable around you. You're not like most of the others. Most of them are either waiting for me to screw up or betray them. You don't judge me like they do."

"Thanks." Bobby says, not really sure of how to respond.

"That's why I let some of my walls down."

"You can let your walls down with me anytime Emma. You're actually pretty fun to be around when you're not so guarded. Maybe you should act that way around everyone-"

"No," she interrupts him emphatically. "I don't trust them, and they certainly do not trust me."

"Do you trust me?"

"Honestly? No. I'm not very trusting. But, after what you did for me, I think I could be able to."

"Works for me." Bobby says with a grin. "Is that why you haven't erased my mind?"

"...I considered it."

"So why didn't you?"

Emma walks over to the bookcase, hoping the distance and distraction would make it easier for her to answer. While thumbing through a random book she's pulled from the shelf, she contemplates lying or telling the truth. With a firm shutting of the book, she gives her answer.

"What you did for me meant more than you could ever know. More than I can say. You let me-ME- cry without ridicule, and not once did you break your word. You didn't open your eyes. You knew I couldn't take you seeing me like that. If you would've opened your eyes, I probably would've erased your memory."

"Thanks for being honest with me."

"I have been avoiding you." Emma admits, placing the book back in its place.

"I know."

"I wasn't sure how I wanted to handle things yet."

"Just be you Em. I know it's gonna be hard, and it won't happen overnight, but you don't have to put up fronts with me."

"Thank you Robert."

"No prob, but enough with Robert. It sounds sooo stuffy. Bobby, ok?

Emma smiles and that is enough of an answer for him.

"Well, I got a session in 20, so I will see ya later." Bobby says, heading for the door.

"Thank you again Robert." He gives her a look and she adds, "I'll work on it."

He smiles and waves, closing the door behind him.

* * *

To be continued . . . 

I know this is a short chapter, but I promise the next one will be longer and a lot more will be going on. I've already started working on it. And as always, thank you for reading, and by all means, leave a review. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Defrosting Chapter 4

Disclaimer: They belong to Marvel, and I'm just borrowing them. And just a reminder, this story is pretty much AU. Hope you like this chapter. As always, reviews are most appreciated and definitely welcome. I respond to every one I get.

* * *

The next few days are hectic and chaotic at the mansion as everyone is busy with preparations for the students return from summer vacation. While some have been assigned to preparing the dormitories and inside the mansion, Bobby has been assigned to the outer grounds. After a long day of diligent cleaning and yard work under the scorching sun, Bobby and the rest of the outside crew are exhausted. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, Bobby heads straight for the showers, then right to bed. He's worn out from the hard labor and it's not long before he is sound asleep.

For hours his dreams are nothing but peace, tranquility and cartoon characters, but almost without warning, an oddly grotesque image takes over his dream scape and just as quickly, vanishes without a trace. Gradually the appearances of similar images increases, but they are too blurry for his mind to discern. Intensely gruesome visions of blood and gore appear abruptly, causing Bobby to wake up. He sits up in his bed and wipes the sweat from his forehead.

"Man. What the heck was that?"

Bobby has no answers for the questions running through his mind. It's been so long since he's had a nightmare. He has no idea where the images came from or why his peaceful dream evolved into a gory nightmare. All he can recognize from the images is blood and carnage, and that is more than enough for him. It is a long time before Bobby is able to fall back asleep. Once he does, the frequency of the images dwindles. Although he is able to return to his peaceful dreams, some of the violent imagery returns sporadically, but not severe enough to wake him again.

* * *

Bobby's erratic dreams continue for the next few nights and he is still as clueless as the first night. Tonight's sleep is no different. His peaceful dream scape again slowly evolves into a grisly nightmare. This time however, he has more clarity than he ever has before. He has been transported to a graveyard, the sky dull and the air dank as a stale wind blows around him. He is standing among tombstones, but the names are unreadable. For the first time since the crazy dreams started, he is not alone. A few feet away there is a person kneeling before a headstone, laying flowers at its base.

"I let you all down." The voice says, barely above a whisper.

Bobby instantly recognizes the voice of the shadowed figure and realizes he is somehow experiencing their dreams. Instantly everything around him goes black and Bobby wakes up completely alert. He sits up in bed and sighs. He knows he isn't going to fall asleep anytime soon, so he puts on a shirt and heads down to the kitchen for a snack.

* * *

Bobby heads down to the kitchen and straight for the fridge, not even bothering to turn on a light. There's a full moon outside, and with the shades still drawn open, the moonlight casts a light glow around the kitchen. Bobby grabs some stuff to make a sandwich, kicking the door closed with his foot. When he turns to place the items on the table, he jumps, nearly dropping them. He is not alone. 

"Geez!" Bobby says, clearly startled. "Give a guy a heart attack why don't ya?"

"Hello Robert." The other occupant addresses him. Fragments of moonlight bounce off her diamond exterior, refracting all around her.

"I didn't expect anyone else to be down here." Bobby says casually, putting his sandwich together.

"Sorry to disappoint." She says nonchalantly, bringing her coffee cup to her lips.

"It's not a big deal," Bobby says, returning the items to the refrigerator. "Actually, I think I need to talk to you anyway."

"Concerning..."

"Well... since we're both sitting here at 3 in the morning, I think it's safe to say neither of us slept well."

Emma only glances up from her mug. Her silence is her answer.

"I know this will probably sound crazy, but I think I've been experiencing your dreams lately."

"Perhaps you should lay off the late night snacks."

"I'm serious."

"Well, what did you see?" Emma asks skeptically. 

"Tonight was the first time I actually saw anything clearly. The other times I've only seen blurs. I didn't know what the images were or where they were coming from til tonight."

"And why do you think they're from me?"

"Because... I heard your voice. You were putting flowers on a grave I couldn't read and everything went black and I woke up."

"I see." Emma says, staring into her mug.

"But how? How can I see your dreams?"

Emma doesn't know and that bothers her. Remaining calm and collected, she suggests casually, "Perhaps I was projecting in my sleep."

"That's possible." Bobby says, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Emma senses he wants to discuss this further. She doesn't.

"I have an early flight in the morning. I'm going back to bed."

"Goodnight Emma."

"Goodnight." She replies, leaving him alone in the kitchen.

Bobby finishes his sandwich and cleans his mess before heading back up to his room. The conversation with Emma didn't go as planned. He still doesn't have any answers for why he was able to experience her dreams. Considering how quickly Emma left, he concludes she probably doesn't know the answer. He wanted to ask her why she had switched forms, but her body language and tone inferred that she was not in the mood for questions.

* * *

As the students start returning to the mansion, the next few days are hectic for everyone. Much of Bobby's time is spent helping students move into the dorms and helping new students get settled. He has also spent a lot of time training in the Danger Room which surprises some of his teammates. He's never been one to spend long hours in the Danger Room unless it was mandatory. He thought the extra training sessions would distract him, but he still can't seem to get Emma Frost off his mind. She is a perplex mystery that he can't seem to figure out. Most of the time she is the guarded, distant White Queen, but then are those brief moments when she lets her walls down. It is those moments that Bobby thinks about the most. As much as he wants to deny it, he actually misses her, a little. The training seems to keep him distracted and his mind off of her for the most part, so he spends a lot of his free time doing so. He also hates to admit it, but while Emma has been gone, he's slept wonderfully.

* * *

To be continued... 


	5. Chapter 5

**Defrosting Chapter 4**

Disclaimer: They belong to Marvel, and I'm just borrowing them. And just a reminder, this story is pretty much AU. Hope you like this chapter. As always, reviews are most appreciated and definitely welcome. I respond to every one I get.

* * *

Once things around the mansion started to regain a sense of normalcy, Bobby decides to get out of the mansion. Rather than enjoying the weather, swimming, or tanning, he is lying next to the pool practicing his powers. His brows are furrowed in concentration as his fingertips are barely grazing the water's surface. He is trying to lower the temperature of the water as close to freezing as he can without turning the pool to ice.

He's focusing so intently that he doesn't hear the approaching footsteps. Bobby is completely oblivious, even asthey kneel beside him.

"Is than an icicle in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

"Huh? What?" Bobby says startled. He jumps and loses concentration. The entire pool turns to solid ice.

"Emma!" Bobby says, clearly surprised to see her.

"I couldn't resist." Emma says rising to her feet.

"I didn't even hear you creep up."

"I made sure you didn't." Emma says with a smirk.

"Guess that explains it," Bobby says, wiping his hands on his pants after rising to his feet. "How was your trip?"

"Boring and uneventful."

"You're back early."

"Caught an earlier flight. I have lots of work that needs to be done here."

"Sounds fun."

"Oh yes," Emma says sarcastically. "Now that I'm back I can't wait to tackle the mounds of paperwork on my desk. Looks like you're going to have to find something else to occupy your time as well."

"Looks that way . . . " Bobby agrees, surveying the frozen water.

With that, Emma turns and walks away leaving Bobby confused.Emma's behavior today is in stark contrast to how she behaved in the kitchen a few nights ago. She'd been distant and unsociable, where as today she seemed almost playful and in good spirits. The only other person he knows of that can switch moods as quick is Rogue, but even then her hot and cold tendencies were nowhere near Emma's level. Emma could switch from being soft to shutting down and putting her walls back up faster than anyone he ever knew.

Bobby looks at the frozen pool and sighs. It will take a long time for it to melt, and while he could go get one of the X-Men to use their powers to defrost it for him, he isn't in the mood to practice anymore. He looks down at his watch and then decides to go see what Hank is up to.

* * *

Later that evening, most members of the X-Men are sleeping soundly. Bobby is one of them. He's enjoying another peaceful sleep until the environment of his dream changes abruptly like so many times of late.

His dream scape transports him to another environment and he finds himself on a cot-like bed in a small dimly-lit room. The door of the room slowly opens and a man in uniform enters. Bobby stands and tries to speak, but his mouth is covered and he is thrown back against the bed with force. He tries to stand again, but the uniformed man once again pushes him back down. As Bobby resists, a fist comes down against his face and he tastes blood in his mouth. He spits out the blood only to be backhanded again. The bedsprings creak as Bobby is pressed down into the mattress, the weight of the man crushing him . . . and now Bobby is on the other side of the room facing the opposite wall. All hints and tastes of blood are gone. Confused, he turns around and faces the bed

The man in uniform is still pinning someone down against the bed, but it isn't Bobby. No matter how much they try to resist, they are easily being overpowered by the much larger and stronger man. Bobby can't see who's on the bed due to the position and bulk of the man, but he can hear the muffled screams of protest through their hand-clamped mouth. He tries to run over to help but he is met by some type of invisible barrier preventing him from doing so. Bobby punches and scratches at the barrier, but he is unable to break through.

**CLANK.**

The guard drops something and bends down to pick it up. Momentarily free, the victim sits up and screams for help. Bobby's eyes widen in horror when he sees the victim. He fights harder than ever to get past the wall, but his attempts are futile. The guard backhands the person and clamps a hand back over their mouth, but somehow the screams continue.

Psychic screams erupt from every corner of his mind and while the dream scape vanishes almost instantly, the screams continue in the darkness. Bobby tries with all his might to will his self awake and finally succeeds. As soon as he wakes, Bobby bolts off the bed and darts out of the room. His bare feet hardly make a sound as he sprints down the empty hallway.

When he finally reaches his destination, he tries to open the door but finds it locked. Concentrating, Bobby places his hand over the lock and carefully uses his powers to make an ice key to unlock it. With success, he quietly opens the door and hurries in, shutting it behind him.

He rushes to the bedside where she's thrashing wildly in her sleep.

"Emma." He calls out, trying to wake her.

After repeating her name over and over with no luck, he leans over and puts a hand on her shoulder, softly shaking her as she thrashes. Suddenly her eyes snap open and she jumps up from the bed, wrapping her arms around his neck. The shock of her actions and the force with which she clutches onto him nearly knocks him to the floor. She squeezes him tightly and he puts his arms around her in an attempt to calm and comfort her.

Emma's body is shaking and she is breathing heavily. Bobby can feel the heat and the wetness of her cheek against his. Her choked sobs catch against his neck. He gently smooths her hair and holds her, saying nothing but comforting words until she stops shaking.

"H-How . . . did you know?"

"I heard you in my head."

She remains silent for a while, her posture tightening but her grip doesn't loosen. Her face is still against his neck, but her breathing is much more controlled. She hasn't looked at him yet.

"Are you ok?" Bobby asks concerned.

Emma loosens her grip on him and abruptly breaks contact. "Thank you for waking me." She answers coldly, her icy facade returning.

"Emma, your nose . . . "

Emma raises a hand to her nose and feels the blood on her fingertips. She rarely had these anymore.

"IF you'll excuse me a moment," Emma says, rising and entering the bathroom so quickly he doesn't have a chance to respond.

Bobby chalks the nose bleed up to being dream-related and takes a look at his surroundings. He's never seen the interior of Emma's room before. The room is dark, the only light coming from beneath the bathroom door and the faint moonlight entering through the window. Despite the darkness, the large expanse of white that is her bed seems to give off a glow of its own.

Bobby notices the disarray of the tangled sheets and pillows and tidies up the bed for her. It's obvious she has not had a peaceful rest. He thinks of the coldness she addressed him with prior to going into the bathroom and knows he should leave quickly once she returns. This is not a state she's comfortable being seen in and with how quickly she put her walls up, he does not want to make things difficult for her. It's not long after he finishes making the bed that she emerges.

Emma has changed her clothes and her hair and face are flawless. If Bobby hasn't seen her just minutes before, he'd never have been able to tell she had been crying or that her nose was bleeding. Despite this, her body language shows that she is still shaken up. Bobby respects her attempts to cover it up, and not wanting to make things awkward, says nothing about it.

"I'll head back to my room now. Call me if you need anything ok? G'nite Em."

As Bobby turns from her and heads toward the door, Emma has to will herself from grabbing him. As he gets closer to the door, she struggles with her pride, and for once, pushes it aside.

"Wait," Emma says, reaching out for his arm.

The sensation of her touch makes him realized for the first time that he is hardly dressed. With the urgency to get to her room, he hadn't stopped to put anything else on. The look in Emma's eyes and her expression silences every thought he has.

"Will you stay here Bobby? Please?" In a true moment of vulnerability, her insecurity and pleading go against everything she's known for, but right now she doesn't care. She doesn't want to be along right now.

Bobby is shocked at Emma's request. He is even more shocked to hear her call him 'Bobby'. There's no way he'd say no.

"Y-yeah I'll stay. No problem." He stammers at first, then tries to cover up his nervousness.

Emma's shoulders visibly relax and she has regained her composure. She walks over to her bed, and being a gentleman, Bobby sits on the floor, preparing to get comfortable.

"What are you doing?"

"What?" He asks confused.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor." Emma says, a small hint of amusement in her voice.

Bobby takes a deep breath and stands, walking to the other side of her bed. He carefully lies down and remains completely still. He's almost too nervous to breathe. He never thought that when he went to bed earlier that evening that he would find himself hours later in Emma's bed. He doesn't know what to make of what he saw in her nightmare and he hasn't a clue if he should even mention it. Her behavior tonight has been rocky at best, flipping between the two extremes so fast it nearly made his head spin.

"Goodnight." She says, turning on her said with her back facing him.

"Goodnight Emma." Bobby says back.

He glances over at her, watching the moonlight reflect off her shoulder and then proceeds to stare at the ceiling. With as many questions as he has floating around in his head, he doubts he'll fall asleep any time soon.

* * *

Bobby doesn't know when he fell asleep, but as he slowly comes to he realizes it wasn't a deep sleep. He awakens to feeling of a weight being pressed against him and he slowly opens his eyes. It takes him a moment to collect his bearings and remember where he is. Once his eyes adjust to the darkness, he is able to see the form pressing against him.

Through the course of the night, they've come much closer to each another. Emma's body and his are somewhat entangled. Her face is tipped down towards his chest while his upper arm is being used as her pillow. One of her hands is resting under her cheek and her legs are lightly brushing against his. While Emma appears to be sleeping peacefully, Bobby finds himself slightly uncomfortable. The hand of his free arm has been propped under his neck for some time. Bobby moves his hand and let's his arm fall to the side, moving slowly in an attempt to keep from waking her. Emma stirs slightly and adjusts her sleeping position in turn, now resting her head in the crook of his elbow. A ray of moonlight casts itself upon the bed and to him, she's almost glowing. He marvels at how innocent she looks.

Bobby let's out and closes his eyes. He can't believe his luck, and at the same time, his misfortune. He tries to focus on calming, peaceful thoughts in case Emma's telepathy is active. He hopes she can latch onto these and sleep peacefully. With a sigh, Bobby closes his eyes, drifting in and out of haziness until he finally falls back asleep.

* * *

To be continued...

Sorry for the short chapters of late, but they're getting longer (and hopefully better). As always, thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review. hint hint


	6. Chapter 6

Defrosting 5

Disclaimer: They're still not mine. Marvel still owns them, but best believe if they're ever put on Ebay, I'll be placing a bid. I hope you're still reading, and as always Reviews are most welcome!

* * *

The next morning Bobby wakes to an empty room. As the haziness of sleep fades, he takes in his surroundings and remembers where he is. He sits up slowly, seeing that he is the only occupant in the room. Emma is nowhere in sight. As his eyes adjust, he glances over at the clock. It's late enough in the morning that he can sneak back to his room undetected because everyone is either downstairs or still asleep. Bobby swings his legs over the edge and when his feet touch the ground, something crumbles beneath them. Lifting his foot to investigate, Bobby finds a small crumpled piece of paper. He smooths it out and reads the writing to himself.

_Had work to take care of. Didn't want to wake you... Thank you._

There is no signature on the note, but Bobby knows its sender. He throws it in a nearby trash can before making the bed and heading to his room. He makes sure the coast is clear before slowly opening the door and making a run for his room. The last thing he wants is for rumors to start spreading and for he or Emma to be the topic of gossip. He is careful not to be seen and gets to his room undetected.

* * *

Later that day, Bobby is finishing up a solo danger room exercise. After an extensive workout of dodging projectiles and warding of the many simulations the Danger Room threw his way, the session is finally over.

"Nice work Bobby." Scott's voice bellows through the speakers from the observation deck.

"Thanks Scott."

"After you've cleaned up, Professor wants to see you in his office."

"OK fearless leader." Bobby says with a grin.

* * *

After showering, Bobby heads for his meeting with Xavier. Bobby is curious to find out what the Professor wants with him. He hasn't done anything to get in trouble that he knows of and the question plagues his mind until he reaches the door to the Professor's office. He knocks twice before entering and finds that someone else is in the office with Xavier.

"Sorry Prof, didn't know you were in a meeting. I'll wait outside."

"No Bobby, it's alright. I actually wanted to speak to both of you."

"It's about time you got here." Emma says cooly, her impatience apparent in her demeanor.

Bobby doesn't say anything as he sits down.

"Well," Xavier begins. " I've already briefed Emma on the situation. Cerebro has detected a new mutant today with a potentially volatile power. Emma is going to access the situation and offer the mutant an opportunity to come to the school. I chose you to accompany her instead of Scott because of how well you get along with kids. If Emma can't get through, perhaps you can get them to relate with you somehow."

"Um, ok." Bobby says, letting the news sink in.

"Let's go," Emma says, rising from her seat.

"Bobby I think it'd be best to take your car. It would be less inconspicuous than a limousine and would draw far less attention. Emma will give you the directions."

* * *

The car ride is far less awkward than their time in Xavier's office. Emma seems to have relaxed and by supplying Bobby with the directions, they find the house in a small suburb fairly easy. When Bobby gets out and takes stock of the house, his mouth drops. Part of the top floor of the two-story home has been blown off, yet there is no debris anywhere.

"Wow..." Bobby says under his breath.

"He's inside. Alone... in the kitchen." Emma says, using her telepathy to scan the premises.

"You take the front and I'll swing around back in case he gets scared and runs."

Emma nods in agreement and Bobby heads towards the gate opening as Emma heads for the front of the house.

Standing at the door, Emma knocks. After waiting a few seconds, Emma tries the doorknob, finding it unlocked. She walks in uninvited and as she looks over the room it appears as though no one is home. If she weren't a telepath she'd assume as much. As she approaches the kitchen, she hears the sound of a door slamming and knows he has run outside.

Bobby's waiting patiently in the backyard. When the new mutant runs out of the house, he runs into Bobby, nearly knocking them both to the ground.

"Easy partner." Bobby says calmly.

"Let-Let me go."

Bobby gets a better grip on his arms and quickly surveys him. He's only a teenager, a frightened one at that.

"Calm down. We're not here to hurt you. We want to help." Bobby says.

"He's right." Emma says, coming through the back door. "Let him go Bobby. He won't be going anywhere."

Bobby obliges, and once free from Bobby's grasp, the boy tries to run away, only to find he is unable to move.

"What's going on? What's happening?" The boy asks frantically. He's trying to run away, but his body isn't cooperating with him.

"I'm holding you in place."

"How?" He asks, confusion apparent in his tone.

"Like you, I'm also a mutant."

"I'm not a mutant."

"Well kid, unless your parents are putting in a skylight, I think you are." Bobby says, pointing towards the damages section of the house.

The boy looks down in shame. "It was an accident. I don't know how it happened."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Emma tells him. "It was simply the first manifestation of your powers. Was anyone hurt?"

"No. My parent's are out of town at my Aunt's for a few days. They're gonna kill me when they get back."

"They won't know what happened." Emma assures. "I'm having a crew coming in to repair it. By this time tomorrow, there will be no sign that anything ever happened."

"Why? Why are you helping me?"

"Like I said, we are mutants. Just like you, only we know how to control our powers. We want to give you the opportunity to do the same."

"But I don't even know what they are. I passed out, and woke up in what's left of my room."

"We will help you. There is a school for children like you who want to learn how to use their abilities. A safe place to get an education without being ostracized."

"Huh?"

"She means you won't be harassed and stuff." Bobby clarifies.

"Oh."

Emma glares at Bobby and he simply shrugs.

"If I let you move now, will you promise not to run?"

"I promise."

Emma releases her mental hold of the boy and as promised, he doesn't run.

"Let's take this convo back inside, ok?" Bobby suggests.

* * *

Inside the house, Bobby and the boy are sitting at the table, while Emma stands over them.

"So, what's your name?" Bobby asks, trying to make the boy feel comfortablt.

"Tommy."

"I'm Bobby, she's Emma. What do you think about everything so far?"

"It's hard to believe. It's crazy. I'm a mutant," Tommy stares at his hands in newfound fascination before looking at Bobby. "You said you're a mutant too right?"

"Sure am."

"What can you do? I mean, I already know what she can do."

Bobby smiles at Tommy and creates a simple ice sculpture on the table.

"Whoa that's cool!"

"Like I haven't heard that one before." Bobby laughs.

"What do you think of our offer Tommy?" Emma asks.

"It's a lot to think about. I need to talk to my parents."

"Well, since your parents won't be home for a few days, why don't you come with us to the school? Check things out, see how you like it and all that? At least til the house is finished." Bobby suggests.

"That's not gonna happen any time soon, mutie-scum." A gruff older voice bellows from behind them.

Emma and Bobby whip around to the source of the voice and are confronted with high-powered guns aimed at them. They are surrounded by 6 members of the FOH wearing odd ear pieces. Emma tries to access her telepathy, but finds she is unable to do so."

"Sensor's pickin up one of yall is a telepath," The gruff man says, pointing to his earpiece. "It ain't gonna work while we're wearing these."

Another member walks up to Bobby and aims a gun at his chest, while two other members encircle Tommy.

"Hey, this isn't how we say hello 'round here." Bobby says, slowly rising to his feet.

"Enough with the jokes gene-freak. Throw down any weapons you have."

"We don't have any."

"I don't believe you." The man says, cocking the handgun and aiming at Bobby's head.

"I'm serious. Look." Bobby says, slowly raising his arms. "And her, she couldn't hide much in that outfit anyways."

"Quiet you moron." Emma says in anger.

"Women." Bobby continues. "I see you don't have any in your bunch. Smart move. All they're good for is taking care of us when we get sick. Me, well, I got this bad cold. A-A-Achoo!"

Bobby pretends to sneeze and his breath freezes the gun.

Before anyone can react, Bobby knocks the gun from the man's hand and it shatters into pieces on the ground. He punches the man in the face and he falls back. The other two guards on stand by try to come to their friend's aid and Bobby swaps punches with them.

A loud crack reverberates through the room, with a thump immediately following. Bobby stops resisting and his eyes fall on Tommy's unconscious body lying on the floor. One of the FOH is beaming with pride, his foot firmly planted into Tommy's back as he lays face first on the floor. The force with which his rifle connected with the back of Tommy's head knocked him out.

"The man whose gun Bobby froze rises to his feet, taking a gun from one of his compatriots. He stands over Tommy's immobile body and glares at Bobby, blood running down his lip.

"Try anything again, and I'll blow his head off."

Bobby drops his hands in defeat and he is quickly tackled by the other FOH members.

"What do you want?" Emma demands.

"The entire mutant race wiped off the Earth, but dragging you in will be fine for now. I'm sure they'd love to hear about this "school" you were talking about. Now, we'll be taking you outside to our vehicle. You try anything or make a scene and you're all dead."

Bobby and Emma are ushered out while two members pick up Tommy and drag him outside. They are pushed into the back of a large van in which they are handcuffed and blindfolds are placed over their faces. Anger is cursing through both of them. The FOH's devices prevented Emma from using her telepathy and also masked their entrance into the house. As they sit there seething, Tommy is pushed into the back with them.

"Buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride." The gruff man says, chuckling at his own joke as he slams the door shut.

* * *

To be continued...

As always, reviews are more than welcome. I always reply to them.


	7. Chapter 7

Defrosting 6

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. Glad you're still reading. Comments are always welcome, but I'd prefer if you'd keep your flames. I'm not sure if my weak fragile writer's ego can take it.

* * *

Emma and Bobby are shoved into a jail-like room and the door is slammed and locked behind them. Removing their blindfolds, they proceed to examine their new surroundings. The room is plain and bare, the only hint of furniture being a ragged cot in the corner.

"Well, this is great." Bobby comments sarcastically as he searches for possible ways out.

"They've installed inhibitors in here. I can't use my powers." Emma states.

"Me either." Bobby says, pulling at the door.

Emma looks around the room in disgust before slowly sitting on the cot.

"When did these idiots get so smart? We need to find out what they did with Tommy."

Bobby turns to look at her, awaiting her reply, but she doesn't say anything. The door swings open and the men Bobby fought with are standing in the entrance. Bobby turns around just in time to be pushed back further into the room. He staggers briefly, but quickly recovers his balance.

"Hey!"

"Shut it gene-freak."

"Geez. No respect anywhere."

"Keep talking trash and see what happens. You won't be worrying about respect, that's for sure."

A smaller man enters the room with a sneer. "One of our ranks reported a bizarre incident in his neighborhood and we knew it had to be mutie-related. I send some of our boys in there to take care of things and you two show up. Must be our lucky day. But, if you don't cooperate, I'm afraid it won't be so lucky for you."

"You're not gonna get anything from us." Bobby says defiantly.

"That so?"

Bobby stands there smugly with his arms folded confidently across his chest.

"I'll just come back later after you've had some time to think about it."

The small man exchanges glances with each of the others and they all nod in acknowledgment. Once the short man leaves the room, they immediately return their attention to Bobby. The man with the split lip grins devilishly at Bobby.

In a blur they lunge at Bobby, attacking him with a barrage of fists. He fights back as best as he can until he is slammed to the hard concrete. Fist and foot connect with fury all over his body as they hit him relentlessly. Limbs ache, bruises emerge and scrapes form. When they've decided that he's had enough, they step back to admire their work. Bobby spits out a mouthful of blood and coughs violently. The men laugh amongst themselves.

"Leave him alone."

The men turn around in unison, suddenly remembering there is another occupant in the room.

"We completely forgot about her boys."

"Now it's time to have some real fun." Another chimes in.

"Stay way from me you imbeciles." Emma says, her voice dripping with disdain.

The biggest of the three grabs her by the wrist and pulls her to her feet in front of him.

"I don't take no lip from mutie-scum, not even hot scum. You put up a heck of a fight back there, but there'll be no more of that. Keep your mouth shut and we'll make it quick for ya."

"Quick's too long for you needle dicks," Bobby says through clenched teeth. "You do everything too fast and can't even get it right. I'm still conscious. You idiots can't even give a good beat-down, how can you possibly handle a woman?"

Emma realizes that Bobby is trying to goad them away from her. Even though she wants nothing more than to be free of them, she knows it will not turn out well for him.

Angrily, the man releases her wrist, and pushes her away. Emma lands ungracefully onto the cot as everyone's attention is back on Bobby. They pull him to his feet, two men holding him upright. Emma can only look on in horror as they beat Bobby worse than before. Each sound of fist hitting flesh makes her cringe. Once satisfied, they release him and he crumbles to the concrete beneath him. Bobby tries to brace himself for the next wave of hits, but it doesn't come. A beeping sound erupts in the room and each of the men reach into their pockets, removing similar devices.

"Let's go." The leader of the trio orders.

"Don't worry. We'll be back to finish the job later."

"Can't...wait." Bobby says sarcastically, spitting out more blood.

After the men leave the room, Bobby continues to lie on the floor. He rests his forehead against the cool concrete for temporary relief from some of the pain.

"Aren't you going to get up?" Emma asks from the corner.

"Workin' on it." He tries to push up to his knees, but finds he lacks the energy and strength to do so. "On second thought, I think I'll stay down here."

Emma walks over and kneels beside him.

"What are you doing?" He asks groggily.

"Helping you up. Now help me."

It takes great effort for Emma to lift Bobby to his feet. In his current condition, he isn't much help. Once standing, he staggers drunkenly as Emma balances him. Once he reaches the cot, he flops on it, immediately lying down.

"Sit up."

"Just let me sleep it off." Bobby whines.

"You might have a concussion," Emma says grabbing him by the collar to hold his head up. "So sit up at least until we clean you up."

Somehow he manages to sit and Emma positions him so that his weight is supported against the wall.

"You look bad." Emma says as surveys the extent of his injuries.

"Thanks for telling me. I'd been worrying if the blood was clashing with my outfit."

"Do you always do this?"

"Do what?"

"Make insipid remarks?"

"In situations like this...yeah."

Emma manages a slim smile as she eyes the blindfolds on the ground. When she gets up to retrieve them, Bobby lets his eyes close, once again trying to sleep. The blindfolds are filthy with dirt and are unsanitary. She throws them down in disgust and returns to the cot.

"Open your eyes." Emma says, as she grabs hold of her sleeve and rips it. She proceeds to tear it into smaller strips and uses them to wipe the blood from his face.

"I'm just imagining what I'm gonna do to them when they come back for Round 2."

"Nice try, but I need you to stay awake right now." Emma says softly.

"Cuz I might be concussed right?"

"Yes."

"I don't think I am. Y'know, concussed. Those guys didn't hit that hard."

"Your appearance says otherwise." Emma says with a light lilt to her voice.

"Looks worse than it is."

"We'll see."

Bobby tries to grin, but grimaces at the pain it causes.

"Do you think they'll come back?" Emma asks softly as she wipes blood from his forehead. It's not the question that is on her mind, but it's as close as she's willing to get on the subject.

"I doubt it. At least not today."

Bobby watches Emma through partially opened eyes as she takes care of his injuries. Her touch is delicate as she wipes the blood from his wounds, the soft fabric from her sleeve slightly comforting despite not being damp. Her tone is softer than he's ever heard her speak and while her expression remains guarded, there seems to be something raging in her eyes. Bobby replays her words in his head and he realizes its undertone.

Bobby takes her gently by the wrist and looks at her earnestly. "I won't let them hurt you."

Emma's demeanor changes slightly and she smiles weakly. He is able to see through the fluff to her true meaning behind the question. "I can handle it."

"I'm serious Emma. I'll take any beating they bring."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Emma appreciates his gesture, but also knows that in his condition it is a promise he may not be able to keep. He releases her wrist and she finishes up cleaning his cuts, checking for signs of a concussion.

"Do you have a headache? Any ringing in your ears?" Emma asks, surveying him.

"Of course I have a headache," Bobby says sarcastically. "No ringing though."

"That's good. Any dizziness or nausea."

"Nope."

Emma puts down the last of her rags and gently places a hand on each side of his face. "Don't move."

Bobby obeys and watches her intently. Her touch is soft and she is careful not to touch any of his scrapes. Emma's brow is furrowed in concentration as her gaze shifts across his face, finally falling on his eyes. Her gaze alternates between them until she finally releases hold of him.

"I think it's ok for you to sleep now. Pupil's look normal." Emma says relieved.

"So I'm not concussed. That's good to know." Bobby attempts to smile, but remembering the pain it caused him, decides against it.

"Get some rest."

Bobby looks around the room, realizing how small the cot is. "Um, how're we gonna do this Em?"

Emma realizes their predicament and sighs inwardly. There's room for both of them on the cot, but hardly. Emma helps Bobby transition from leaning against the wall to lying on the cot.

"Put me on the floor Emma."

"Shut up and sleep." Emma says. Her words are sharp but her tone is still soft.

Bobby obliges, closing his eyes. He feels the cot shift with movement and opens them partially. Emma has finally laid down. She's keeping as much distance between them as possible, but the cot is so small that they can feel each other's warmth.

"Thanks Emma." Bobby says groggily.

Emma says nothing, simply staring at the wall. She looks around the room for any hint of a possible escape they somehow overlooked. With no windows or a watch, she is unable to discern the time. She can only assume it's at least early evening. Emma wishes she had her telepathy. She'd make those men pay for what they did to Bobby and she'd make sure they were never able to harm anyone again. She'd get them out and they would find Tommy.

Glancing over at the battered face of Bobby Drake, she sighs. Were it anyone else, the beating she witnessed wouldn't have bothered her nearly as much. She surely wouldn't have ruined an expensive designer shirt to clean up their wounds, let alone share a cot with them. Despite their past, of all the people in the mansion, she feels most comfortable around Bobby. At first she disagreed with Xavier on being paired together with him, but after hearing Charles' reasoning, she determined it wasn't that bad an idea after all. Now that's she's being held captive, Emma realizes how glad she is that he'd been sent with her. Anyone else, and she would've gone crazy by now.

Emma's trying her hardest to remain calm and collected. The silence in the room is near deafening, but as Bobby sleeps, the sound of his shallow breathing gives her comfort. Trapped here with anyone else and she may not be able to keep her demons at bay. She can't explain the effect he has, but she is a stronger force against her nightmares when he is around. Emma carefully adjusts herself so that she is more comfortable. She is careful not to wake him but he is already sound asleep. Once she finds a comfortable position, she tries to get some sleep herself, knowing that they're going to need all the strength they can muster if they're going to get out.

* * *

To be continued...

Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Defrosting Ch 7

Disclaimer: They're still not mine. Marvels still owns them, even though I'd love to own them for a while. I hope you're still reading, and as always Reviews are most welcome!

Oh, and btw, telepathy in italics if you couldn't tell.

* * *

Emma wakes up sore and aching from lying on the uncomfortable cot. She opens her eyes slowly, trying to grow accustomed to the lights in the room before moving. Once she has her bearings, her mind becomes more alert and the events of the previous day replay in her mind. As she stretches slowly to alleviate some of her aches and pains, she realizes the cot is empty except for her. Frantically she sits up and scans the room, breathing a sigh of relief when she spots Bobby on the other side of the room. He is pacing slowly back and forth, swinging his arms about. His face is a canvas of bruises and scrapes, and a deep cut over his eye is looking in desperate need of some stitches.

"How are you feeling?" Emma asks, stretching slowly as she sits up. The cramped sleeping situation has left her stiff and sore.

"A little," Bobby says. "But I'll live."

"I hardly think pacing about is something you should be doing in your condition. I think that cut might need stitches."

"Maybe so, but I'm trying to loosen up a little. We're getting out of here today."

"You've found a way out?" Emma asks, rising to her feet, fully alert now.

"No. But something's happened out there and everyone's flipping about it. You can hear bits and pieces through the door every now and then, but it sounds like something big and they're not happy about it."

"Any idea what?"

"Not yet. That's what woke me up in the first place. There's been a lot of yelling lately, so whatever it is, I'm gonna be ready to get us outta here the first chance we get."

Emma watches him momentarily before deciding to loosen up. Although he is getting around quite easily, Emma notices that many of his movements are hindered by the injuries he sustained the night before. Bobby's story has left her feeling hopeful, but she can't help but think in the back of her mind that it could all be a big let down. It isn't long before muffled yelling is heard outside of their room, jarring her from her negative thoughts. Emma and Bobby rush to the door, pressing their ears against it to listen. As the voices get closer, at best they are only able to make out certain words or phrases.

_Blew up . . . can't control . . . bring . . . collar . . . _

Bobby and Emma exchange curious look as they listen for more hints to decipher what's going on. Listening intently, they are able to hear screams of protest getting closer and clearer.

"Shut off . . . powers quick! ... Get to . . . Control room . . . Hurry . . . collar now!" Someone yells.

Footprints are heard rapidly approaching and then fade away in the other direction. Bobby and Emma assume that it's someone running to get a collar from somewhere in the compound. Muffled sounds of a struggle are heard approaching followed by screams and shouts. They back away from the door mere seconds before it's knocked off its hinges, sending them flying into the wall on the far side of the room.

Slow to get up, Bobby and Emma make their way to the huge opening the explosion has caused. Smoke has begun to make its way into the room and as they approach where the large metal door once stood, they can see the damage the explosion has caused. Scanning the surrounding area, everyone in sight is either dead or unconscious lying among rubble and debris. Nearly the entire length of the corridor appears to have been affected. Alarms suddenly erupt all along the corridor, causing them to wince at the volume.

"We need to find that control room they were talking about and turn off the inhibitors." Emma shouts to Bobby as the climb through debris and rubble.

"What caused this explosion?" Bobby asks as he throws a large piece of debris out of his path.

"I don't know. We don't have time for that right now."

Scanning the corridor, Bobby spots the control room and points it out to Emma, who had been searching the other end of the hallway. They run toward the room, carefully dodging broken columns and hurdling smoking debris. Bobby kicks the door in, finding the control room virtually unscathed and empty. Bobby stands over a control panel looking at the vast amount of buttons, knobs, levers, and switches.

"Great. How're we supposed to know which one shuts off the power dampeners? None of em have labels."

"You're not helping." Emma says, studying another control panel.

As they inspect various terminals in an attempt to shut down the inhibitors that are negating their powers, an FOH member watches them while in hiding. When both of their backs are turned to him, he decides to attack. Bursting forth from the cabinet, he lunges at Emma, tackling her to the ground. As they fall, Emma's head comes into contact with the corner of a terminal. The sound of her head smacking against metal alerts Bobby to their enemy's presence. Bobby comes to her aid, pulling the man off of her and hitting him with an onslaught of punches. Finally, he throws him into one of the terminals and miraculously, one of the buttons he lands on shuts down the inhibitors.

Through the adrenaline and aches, Bobby can feel his powers surging back. Not wasting time, he returns to Emma and kneels to check on her. She's lying immobile on her side, her face down turned and her hair covering most of her face.

"Emma! Are you ok?"

Emma groans in pain but does not answer. He carefully helps her sit and pushes the hair back from her face. Redness has started to seep through her hair and now that her face is visible, he can see that the wound begins near her cheekbone, traveling up into her hairline. Emma clutches her head in pain, and when she pulls her hand back, it is covered in blood.

"You're bleeding real bad Em."

"Don't worry about that right now." She says through gritted teeth.

"But-"

"Bring him over here," she interrupts. "You're right. The wound is pretty extensive, and using too much telepathy could knock me out. I've already tried to scan for Tommy and can't detect him anywhere and we need to get out of here. If I'm touching him, it won't tax me as much and I can get the schematics and escape routes easier."

Bobby nods and drags the unconscious man over to Emma. Bobby helps her sit up slowly, much to her protest. She reaches out and touches the man's temple, immediately gasping from the pain. Using her telepathy is more difficult and far more painful than she expects, but she is able to get the information she needs. Emma immediately breaks contact after and a wave of dizziness ripples through her.

"Let's get going." Bobby says, rising to his feet.

Emma slowly gets to her feet, refusing his outstretched hand. Her first few steps are awkward and ungraceful as if she could fall at any second.

"Can you walk?" Bobby asks with concern.

"I'm fine."

Bobby realizes the alarms have stopped blaring in the corridor. A new sound has replaced the alarms, a sound Bobby can't place. He pauses to listen more intently and his eyes widen when he realizes that the new sounds are gun shots getting closer by the second. FOH members who weren't in the corridor and who weren't affected by the explosion are making their way toward them through the debris. As bullets lodge themselves in the walls around them, one shot ricochets off of a terminal, the bullet hitting Emma in the thigh. She gasps in pain and her leg buckles beneath her. Bobby breaks her fall and sees that she is in no condition to walk, let alone run on her own. With that in mind, Bobby wraps her arms around his shoulders.

"Hate me later, but we gotta get out of here now."

With that, Bobby scoops Emma up in his arms and makes a run for it away from the advancing gunmen. As bullets sail past them, he starts shifting forms. As strange crunching sounds are heard around them, Bobby staggers a few times before his transformation is complete. Gunshots continue to reverberate off the walls of the corridor and as Bobby runs, the debris and rubble lessen until he reaches a section unaffected by the explosion. Once his ice form is at the desired density, he takes off in full sprint knowing no bullet can hit him now. He holds her close to him for she is still vulnerable to them and to keep from hurting her as he dips and dodges through various turns.

Once he's outrun the FOH members by a good distance, he puts Emma down carefully, propping her up against the wall for support. He then creates a wall of ice several feet thick to seal off the corridor. When done, he walks back over to her and kneels beside her to survey her injuries. Her blonde hair is nearly completely tinted red from the blood she's lost. A thin path of blood has begun to run down her cheek and he carefully wipes it away. Cautiously he touches her face and using his abilities creates a thin patch of ice over the wound, starting at her cheek and finishing near the top of her head. The ice numbs her pain and slows the bleeding greatly. She gasps as she registers the coldness and grips his arm tightly. Next he places a hand on her leg and does the same to the bullet wound. When he's finished with his injuries, he sits down beside her panting heavily. The rush of adrenaline that has got them this far has faded and his body is starting to ache slightly. His muscles ache and he is extremely fatigued, but he ignores the pain as best he can.

"Where . . . are we?" Emma asks, touching her head delicately.

"Beats me. We've got a good lead and they won't be getting through that wall anytime soon."

Bobby takes a deep breath, trying to regain some of this strength and energy as well as his composure. He glances over at Emma who seems to be tired herself. Her eyes keep fluttering closed and she's blinking rapidly in a futile attempt to keep them open.

"Emma, you ok? You're turning pale."

"Fine."

"Then why can't you keep your eyes open?"

"Tired." She lies.

"Liar. You're concussed, aren't you?"

"You mean . . . do I have a concussion?"

"Yeah."

After a few seconds, she answers, "I think I might."

Emma opens her eyes to look at him and Bobby notices that one of her pupils is much larger than the other. "That's not good. I don't know the way out."

"I do."

"You're in no condition to get us out of here."

"But you are."

Before he can protest, she leans toward him, placing her hands on his temples. Emma transfers all the information she got from the man in the control room. After she breaks contact, her eyes close and she slumps against his shoulder.

"Emma?"

The strain of using of her telepathy, along with the extent of her injuries has knocked her unconscious.

"Guess it's up to me now." Bobby says to himself aloud, slowly rising to his feet.

He returns to the ice wall, adding a few more layers with his powers. He pauses to listen for FOH on the other side, but there is no sound. While they have a great deal of a lead on the FOH, Bobby doesn't want to wait around and take any chances. He returns to Emma and carefully picks her up. Her body is limp in his arms as he carries her though various pathways and corridors before finally ending up in a sewer tunnel. He stops a moment to catch his breath. His muscles burn and ache in protest, but he ignores the pain and presses on.

_Professor! Betsy! Anybody! Can you hear me? It's Bobby! _

He mentally projects his shouting in hopes that he'll be heard by one of the telepaths.

_Professor X! Rachel! Cuckoos! Someone answer me!"_

Bobby waits a moment before pressing forward. He scans the area before him, keeping an eye and ear out for potential ambushes by the FOH. Since he outran the gunmen, he has not seen any other FOH members. The explosion seems to have done more damage than initially thought, and while the last couple of miles of the base were unharmed in the explosion, Bobby assumes that the rest are either injured, ran away, or are dealing with the aftermath. He doesn't have a clue what caused the explosion but it was a blessing in disguise. It was their chance to get away, but things did not go as Bobby had planned.

Emma is unconscious in his arms, a gunshot wound in the thigh and what appeared to be a deep laceration to her head that resulted in a concussion and a lot of blood loss. He has no idea where Tommy is and Emma's words didn't appease his worrying. She was unable to sense Tommy in the compound, but whether that meant he was dead or that he had gotten away, Bobby isn't sure. All Bobby can do is hope that Tommy had gotten away too and that they can find him once they are free themselves.

After walking about a mile, Bobby stops to try and project his psychic screams again. Just as he is about to project, a slight tingling passes through his mind and he senses a familiar presence within.

_Bobby, is that you?_

_Yeah Professor, it's me._

_Are you alright? We've been trying to find you._

_I'm fine, but I need you to send a jet quick. Emma . . . _

_We've determined your location and a team is preparing to leave as we speak._

_Good. Oh, and Prof, make sure Hank's on board._

_Of course._

After their telepathic conversation ends, Bobby continues forward with the directions Emma transplanted to his memory until he reaches a way to the surface. Although he's excited to get out, he continues to walk slowly, careful not to jostle her. He is too drained to make the climb up the ladder with Emma in tow. Insteadof climbing, Bobby uses his powers tolift them to the manhole. He carefully adjusts her so that her weight is on one of his shoulders, and using his free arm, he lifts the manhole and pushes it to the side.

He carefully lifts her out of the sewer, and climbs out afterward. Before lifting her again, Bobby uses his powers to freeze the manhole in place, just in case the FOH were able to follow them. Overhead Bobby sees one of their small jets flying over and it landsnearby. It is very early in the morning for the stars are still out, and the sun is shining just a hint over the horizon. Fortunately for him, they're in a derelict part of town and there are no people in sight to see him or the jet. With Emma's unconscious body in tow, and still in his ice form, Bobby makes the trek to the jet.

* * *

To be continued...

Comments and reviews are heavily desired and greatly appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

**Defrosting Ch 9**

Thanks for staying with me and my fic this long. Marvel's wonderful, yet sometimes misused characters are not mine.

* * *

Inside the jet, Cyclops, Kitty, Hank and Wolverine are waiting for any sign of Bobby. Xavier gave instructions on where to land, and they did so unnoticed with the jet's cloaking device. They have no idea of how long they are supposed to wait, and are growing restless with the uncertainty of things.

"Ten minutes. He ain't here in ten minutes, I'm gonna go look for em'" Wolverine says impatiently.

Rather than sitting and waiting, Logan has been pacing back and forth inside the jet while the others have been on the lookout. Kitty looks out of the window while Cyclops and Beast are overlooking computer screens in hopes of detecting him.

"Someone is coming up on the radar, due north."

Kitty squints her eyes as she looks out the front of the plane and sees a figure approaching the cloaked jet. "Here he comes! He's carrying something."

Cyclops lowers the hatch and Hank rushes out to meet his friend while Logan walks up to the cockpit to have a look himself. With his enhanced senses, he is able to see much clearer and much further than his teammates.

"That ain't something Kitty, that's a some_one_."

Hank slows to a jog as he gets closer to Bobby. He stops in place when he recognizes the form in Bobby's arms.

"My stars . . . what happened?"

"I'll fill you in on the jet. We need to stop the bleeding."

As they near the jet, Logan walks down the hatch to help them carry Emma up the ramp. Once inside, they strap her down securely to the table. She has yet to regain consciousness since using her telepathy on Bobby, and her hair is becoming matted with all the blood she's lost. Hank proceeds to clean her wounds and apply bandages as best he can with the equipment in the jet until they can get her back to the med lab at the mansion. Emma's head wound is in dire need of stitches and he doesn't have the resources on the jet to tend to it or to the bullet wound on her thigh. At best he can bandage them in hopes that it will stop or slow the bleeding.

After Bobby briefs everyone, he returns to the back of the jet with Hank and Emma. Hank has done a great job of cleaning up the blood. Emma's face is visible again and were it not for the cut on her cheek, it would appear as though Emma was in a peaceful sleep. Bobby slumps into a chair near the table, exhausted but unable to sleep. Bobby's expression is colder than his icy exterior as he sits through the rest of the flight in silence.

Bobby is full of anger. Anger at what the FOH did to them, anger at the fact that they never found Tommy, and most infuriatingly, he's angry at himself. He'd broken his promise to Emma. She had gotten injured in the melee and he wasn't able to protect her. He hopes that the risks she took in using her powers to supply him the escape route didn't make her injuries worse. Bobby knows Emma is a fighter. He admires the strength she possesses, the strength she had shown when he took the horrible beating and they were prepared to turn things onto her. A month ago he wouldn't care as much but things are different now. Bobby's opinions of Emma Frost have changed dramatically recently and now he knows more than ever that he is starting to have feelings for her.

* * *

Once landing at the mansion, Emma is immediately brought to the med lab. Bobby has been sitting patiently outside ever since, waiting for the first sign of any news.

"You're gonna melt if you sit out here any longer."

Bobby looks up and sees Jubilee standing in front of him. He's been so immersed in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her approach. She sits down next to him and hands him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Jubes."

"No prob. Thought you could use some. How long have you been sitting out here anyway?"

"I don't know." Bobby answers honestly. His concept of time has been completely lost since being taken hostage by the FOH.

"It's nice of you to sit out here for Frosty. I heard she was hurt bad."

"I don't know. She's got a gash on her head, probably gonna need a lot of stitches. She got us out of there, so I at least owe it to her to make sure she's ok."

That's only part of the reason, but it's the only part of the reason that Bobby is willing to share.

"Want some company?"

"No thanks Jubes, I'd only bore you."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Bobby says, trying to muster up the most convincing smile he can make. "I'm a bit worn out and I'll probably nod off in a minute waiting to hear something. Maybe you can go pull a prank or something on someone for me. I haven't done any good ones in a while."

Jubilee's eyes light up with possibilities, a devilish grin spreading across her lips. "I've got this great one I've been wanting to pull on Rogue. You're gonna love it."

"I'm sure I will."

With that, Jubilee runs off with a purpose. Bobby smiles at the memories of past pranks he's pulled on his friends and some of the great ones Jubilee and he pulled off as a team. As his mind wanders through some of the better practical jokes he's done, his thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the lab doors opening. Bobby instantly rises to his feet, nearly spilling the contents of his cup before Hank has a chance to come out.

"How is she?" Bobby asks expectantly.

"How long have you been sitting out here?"

"Since we've been back." Bobby mutters, throwing his now cold cup of coffee in the trash.

"That's been a couple of hours."

Bobby just shrugs and a small smile spreads across Hank's face.

"She will be fine. She's still under sedation but if you'd like to see her, you may."

Bobby's shoulders visibly relax and as Hank steps back inside the med lab, Bobby follows. Beast leads Bobby beyond the blips and beeps of the laboratory equipment to the quieter area of the lab reserved for more medical matters, and less scientific machinery. Walking further they find themselves in the infirmary, where the beds are separated by partitions, and while there is only one inhabitant of the infirmary, all of the curtains are drawn forward. A faint hum emits behind a nearby curtain, and Hank pulls it back slowly.

Emma lies peacefully unconscious, looking far better than when Bobby had seen her last. A white blanket has been pulled over her, one leg remaining on the outside. Her leg has been bandaged and covered by thick layers of gauze over the wound. Her head has been carefully stitched and wrapped, and Bobby is relieved to see hints of her golden blonde hair rather than the bloodied, matted hair he remembers.

"Emma is stabilized, sleeping peacefully under heavy sedation. She sustained a concussion, but fortunately the laceration was not as deep as I had originally thought. Using your abilities to slow the bleeding was ingenious."

"So, she'll be ok?"

"Aside from a bad headache for a while, she will be back to normal in no time."

Bobby glances about at the various machines surrounding Emma, and lastly at the serene look on her face for reaffirmation before finally turning away with a sigh.

"Something wrong?" Hank asks concerned at his friend's change in demeanor.

"You've got one more patient today Hank, so don't take your scrubs off yet."

"What are you talking about?"

"There's a reason I'm still iced up. When I shift back, you're gonna have to work quick. I didn't shift fast enough and I know for sure I got hit twice."

"You mean you were shot?"

"Yeah. When I shift back, It's not going to be pretty. I should also mention I got the snot kicked out of me so my face definitely ain't gonna look good. Staying iced up has slowed the effects but I've been feeling weak. I've been holding out but it's starting to hurt like Hell Hank, so prep a table asap. It's time to play operation."

Bobby manages a weak smile, trying to downplay the seriousness of his predicament, but Hank is already working furiously to get everything in order. He rushes to the operating area of the lab, prepping it for the oncoming surgery. By the time Bobby drags himself there, Hank is already prepped and ready to go. Bobby slowly pulls himself onto the table and lies down, closing his eyes. Hank places an anesthesia mask over Bobby's face and when Bobby shifts back to his human form, the gases put him under immediately. Hank delves right in, cutting Bobby's shirt away. Blood is everywhere and Hank goes to work with surgical precision to save his friend. Once he's cleared away most of the blood, he is better able to discern Bobby's injuries. Hank discovers that Bobby was wrong and has actually been shot four times. One bullet has gone all the way through his shoulder. Two more bullets are lodged in his mid-section, one near his collarbone, and the other near his rib cage. Fortunately for Bobby, these three wounds have all missed major arteries and organs. The other bullet, the most serious of all, has punctured one of his lungs and Hank must work quickly to remove it. Hank immediately starts on the most severe wounds first, trying his best not to look at the scraped and bruised face of his best friend.

Hours later, Hank is finished, but Bobby is nowhere in the clear. Through the operation, Bobby has lost a lot of blood and his vital signs remain extremely low. Bobby has been hooked up to the necessary machines, and now tubes and IV's are sticking in and out of him all over his body. Hank takes one last look at the heart monitor before cleaning up and sitting down next to Bobby's comatose body. Hank is exhausted, emotionally and physically. His best friend lies before him, hooked up to a myriad of machinery fighting for his life. The only comfort he has is in knowing that he has done everything in his power to help him and that Bobby has the strength to pull through. A slight tinge of anger lurks at the back of Hank's mind. He can't help but a feel a bit of anger toward his friend for keeping his injuries quiet for so long. Leaving Bobby's side, Hank heads to the other side of the lab to bury himself in other projects to distract himself.

* * *

A constant throbbing ache wakes Emma from her sedative-induced sleep. The fog clears from her mind as she slowly regains consciousness. She opens her eyes briefly, squinting as she grows accustomed to her dimly lit surroundings. Emma feels groggy and weak, remaining still as she collects her bearings. Once she is able to focus to eyes, the faint lights of the machine readings illuminating before her, casting an eerie glow around the sterile white room. Emma's last memories are of being in the sewer with Bobby. Her surroundings reveal that he was able to get them out.

The pounding in her head still has not alleviated, and as she tries to sit up, the pain nearly doubles. A wave of dizziness and nausea passes through her and Emma clutches her head in an attempt to stop the dizziness. Only when her fingertips come in contact with the gauze does she realize her head is bandaged. Slowly she brings the other hand to her cheek and her fingertips softly navigate the length of her bandages.

As her senses grow more alert, she grows more restless. Emma places a foot on the floor and the tiles are cool beneath her. She swings her other leg slowly over the edge of the bed and when she tries to plant her weight, a searing, blinding pain courses through her leg. Emma gasps in pain and shock before ungracefully crumbling to the ground.

Almost immediately the curtains separate and Hank's large blue form bounds in.

"Emma, are you alright?"

"Fine." Emma answers, her voice low and hoarse from lack of use.

Before she can answer, Hank easily lifts her and gently places her back on the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," She says sarcastically. "I've felt better."

"Any pain?"

"Other than my leg feeling like it's on fire? No." Emma lies.

"That is to be expected, I'm afraid. The bullet went through clearly, and will heal rapidly. Are you experiencing any headaches or vision problems?"

"Nothing I can't manage. How long was I out?"

"Prior to your arrival, I am not certain. Since your arrival at the mansion? Approximately 21 hours."

"Twenty one hours?" Emma asks incredulously.

"You had sustained a concussion and a head wound, and the sedatives were a precaution. Fortunately the wound was not as deep as I originally thought and only required minor stitching. Thanks to the Shi'Ar technology I have here, after a week or so, the scars will fade completely."

"Fantastic." Emma answers calmly. Her shoulders relax, but her posture still appears on edge.

"How much longer must I stay here?"

Hank studies her charts before shining a light into her eyes.

"Your pupils are normal, which is good. The charts and read outs appear satisfactory. If you'd voluntarily like to stay for observation-"

"I wouldn't." Emma quickly interjects.

"Well then, I see no problem with you returning to your room as long as you notify me if any problems arise."

"Agreed."

"I must also ask you in your state Emma, to please refrain from using your telepathy for at least the next 24 hours."

Emma nods in agreement before changing the subject abruptly. "How is Robert?"

Hank freezes in his motions, but quickly tries to cover it up.

"Would you like me to find someone to assist you to your room Emma?"

"Why are you sidestepping Henry?"

"I'm not." Beast lies, pretending to be more preoccupied with the clipboard in his paw than their conversation.

"As you've said, I have a concussion. Please don't make me use my telepathy."

Hank sighs before turning back to Emma to deliver the news.

"He is also a patient in the infirmary. He has suffered multiple gunshot wounds, one of those shots puncturing a lung. He also has sustained fractured ribs as well as a multitude of scrapes and contusions. He has lost a great amount of blood." Hank pauses before finishing, "He has yet to regain consciousness."

"I want to see him," Emma says flatly. Her face is expressionless, but her eyes seem to convey a sense of urgency.

"I do not think-"

"Again I ask Henry, don't make me use my powers."

Without waiting for a response, Emma carefully lowers herself to the floor. The burning pain returns as soon as she puts weight down on her injured leg, but instead of crying out, she grits her teeth and transitions her weight to her other leg. Hank takes the lead and Emma limps behind him. Emma briefly closes her eyes in an attempt to prepare herself, but nothing can prepare her for what she sees when Hank pulls back the curtain.

Bobby is lying motionless with various machines hooked up and beeping all around him. IV tubes are pumping the necessary liquids into his system, and blood bags are doing their best in replenishing the blood he's lost. His entire torso is a cocoon of bandages and in some places, blood has seeped through, marring the whiteness of the gauze. One of Bobby's arms is in a sling. His skin is ghastly pale and his face is a myriad of cuts and bruises. One of his eyes is nearly swollen shut and line of stitches lies below it, closing up the cut on his cheek inflicted on him by the members of the FOH.

"He is comatose." Beast says sadly. "I hope the Shi'Ar technology will help rouse him."

"I'd like to stay with him. He saved my life after all."

"With the severity of his injuries, I'm afraid he will be out of it for quite a while. Why don't you go clean up, get some rest? Perhaps something to eat Emma? He won't be waking anytime soon."

"You'll inform me of any change?" Emma finally concedes, her weariness outweighing her desire to be stubborn.

"Of course."

Emma turns and leaves the med lab, limping slightly. Once she is out of eye sight, her gait changes and she limps more dramatically. She is too proud to let Hank see how much pain she is actually in. With each step with her injured leg, the pain is enough to make her knees want to buckle. Now that no one is around, she can place more of her weight on the other leg to alleviate some of the pain. She slowly makes her way of the stairs to her bedroom. Once inside, she goes straight to the bathroom and looks in the mirror. Her hair is disheveled, though most of it is hidden beneath the bandages. Turning her head slightly, she scrutinizes her wound. A bruise colors her cheek fading into her hairline. She slowly removes the bandages, running a finger along the path of the stitches on her face. Carefully she lightly follows its jagged trail into her hair, feeling the raggedness of the cut and the dried blood that has formed over the wound. She knows she will have to take care in washing her hair and proceeds to undress. Beneath the bandages around her thigh she finds more blood and dark bruises.

As she enters the shower, the water is both refreshing and excruciating. While she revels in the chance to wash away the grit and grime, she bites her lip as the pulsating water hits her leg and clamps down even harder as she tries to wash her hair. After she showers, she quickly dresses, finding herself too weak and too exhausted to head down for food. Instead she lies down in her bed and her thoughts immediately drift back to the last time she slept in it; the night Bobby had rescued her from her nightmares. She closes her eyes and still smells the faint traces of him on her pillow. The past few days have been too much for her concussed might to handle right now. All her thoughts keep coming back to the man lying in the med lab who saved her life struggling to hold onto his, and prays on everything that he makes it through. It isn't long before weariness overcomes her and she drifts off to sleep.

* * *

To be continued...

Comments and reviews are most assuredly welcome, so please let me know what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

Defrosting Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Marvel owns these wonderful characters. I only hope I'm doing them justice. Glad you're still reading and I hope it's still interesting for yall.

Reviews are always welcome. hint hint

* * *

The early morning sunlight casting through Emma's half drawn curtains wakes her earlier than she had planned. Her headache has diminished greatly and although her leg is still sore, the pain has lessened enough so that she can walk much easier. Glancing at the clock, she groans inwardly as she pushes herself off the bed. She limps to the shower, proceeding to get ready for the day at hand. Testing out her telepathy, Emma calls out to Hank to find out if there's been any change in Bobby's condition. Much to her chagrin, there hasn't. She knows she should be resting, and she shuts off her telepathic link with Hank before he can tell her the same. Emma should be recuperating, but the semester is finally underway and she doesn't want to miss any classes, especially the first day. Emma welcomes the distraction the classes will bring. The past few days have been chaotic and she is ready for a sense of normalcy again.

Once out of the shower and dressed, Emma sits in front of her vanity. With great care Emma applies makeup, doing her best to conceal the bruising on her cheek. What she isn't able to cover up with makeup, she is hides by styling her hair. She scrutinizes her job in the mirror, turning her head at different angles before being satisfied with her work. While she can much easier mask it from the others with her telepathy, she plans on following Hank's advice to refrain from using them. Contacting him earlier via telepathic link caused a sensation of dizziness that is still permeating at the back of her mind. She is doing her best not to bring it back to the forefront.

Gathering her things, Emma heads down to get prepared before the classes begin. Although the pain still lingers, she walks gracefully, refusing to let anyone see her falter. She passes a few of the early birds on her way through the mansion but she doesn't stop to speak or to acknowledge them. As she approaches her classroom, she discovers another member of the X-Men about to enter.

"This is my class Scott. Are you lost?"

"Emma? Good morning. How are you?" Scott recovers as Emma approaches him.

"Can I help you with something?"

"I was going to cancel your classes."

"Why?" Her neutral demeanor quickly evolves into a defensive pose as she crosses her arms across her chest.

"With everything that happened, we weren't sure if you were up to it yet."

"We?"

"We thought the time off would be good for you."

"Thank you, but I do not need you, or anyone else cancelling my classes, especially without consulting me first."

"I'm sorry Emma. We just thought- ."

"I am fine," Emma interrupts him. "And I am perfectly able to teach. I don't intend on cancelling anything, so if you'll excuse me..."

With that Emma walks past him and into her classroom, closing the door and leaving a confused Cyclops standing outside.

When Emma gets into the mind set of preparing for the day, her anger begins to subside. She hates when others try to patronize her, especially when she feels that the majority of the X-Men couldn't be bothered to care for her well being. The "we" Scott mentioned most likely only involves himself and Hank. A small bit of excitement builds in the pit of her stomach as the first batch of students enter the classroom, driving away some of her irritation.

After the last student leaves, Emma leans against her desk in reflection. Despite the slight headaches, the day goes by virtually unhitched. She's avoided walking as much as possible, choosing to stay behind her desk or sit atop it much like she is doing now. The day flew by and much to Emma's enjoyment, it is now over. She is glad the semester is officially underway. Now she can use the time needed to prepare course assignments and the like as a distraction from everything else.

As Emma gathers her things and leaves the classroom, her adrenaline wanes and her exhaustion resurfaces. Her thoughts immediately return to the brief conversation with Cyclops and his suggestion she take some time off. No matter how tired she feels now, the joy of getting the first day under her belt outweighs any negative.

A low musical tone emits from Emma's bag, increasing in volume as she retrieves the phone from her bag.

"Frost."

Emma cautiously makes her way through the slightly crowded halls, listening intently to the speaker on the other end of the line.

"Send my car. I'll be there within the hour." Emma says, hanging up before awaiting a response.

Stopping in place, Emma turns around and heads in the opposite direction to the parking garage instead. Her original destination was the med lab to meet with Hank for a scheduled follow-up, but that will have to wait. She curses herself inwardly for forgetting about the meeting this afternoon. After answering her assistant's phone call, she's certain that her limo will be waiting out front for her, if not already there.

* * *

Emma walks out of the Frost International, her chauffeur holding an umbrella over her head as he opens the door of her limousine. The rain has only worsened her mood as she slides into the car. The meeting was completely trivial and mundane and bored her immensely. Emma regrets attending for it wasn't completely necessary for her to be there. The Board of Directors had things handled and her attendance was more a formality than anything else. When the meeting grew unbearable, Emma sped things along with her telepathy, much like she did when she altered everyone's minds into believing she arrived on time. She regrets that now, as her headache has increased tenfold from using her powers. She's rubbing her temples between her forefingers in an attempt to alleviate the pain when she hears the window partition lowering.

"Excuse me, Miss Frost. Shall I be taking you back to the school?"

"No," Emma says with contemplation. "I'll be staying at the penthouse tonight."

"Yes maim."

The partition rises again, leaving Emma to her thoughts. She considers informing Hank that she is not returning to the mansion, but with the pain she is feeling, she doesn't want to make it worse. She could phone him, but with all the buzz around the mansion about Bobby, she feels her absence will hardly be noticed. Her thoughts quickly turn to him. She regrets not going to visit Bobby, but his area in the med lab has not been empty since it became known to everyone that he slipped into a coma. Various members of the X-Men have been taking turns watching vigil over him in the med lab. Everyone is anxiously awaiting news concerning his condition, Emma included.

Despite the rough past between them, the relationship between Bobby and Emma has evolved from once being bitter enemies to some sort of acquaintanceship. The situations they've experienced of late have brought them closer together and out of these circumstances, Emma has found the closet thing in her life to a friend in Bobby.

Ever since the night the two of them left the mansion together, Emma's life has been in a state of disarray. Much to her amazement, she discovers that the time spent with Bobby down has been some of her most memorable moments during her stay at Xavier's. Bobby has a way of making her feel comfortable, yet not too vulnerable, that she has never experienced with anyone else. She often thinks back to the night outside the diner. When he pulled her into the alley, Emma had every intention of wiping the night from his memory, but when he took her into his arms, it simply floored her. As much as she tries to deny it, that simple act touched her more than she'd ever admit. She's never allowed anyone to see her truly emotional, yet Bobby has seen her twice. In the alley, Emma broke down and cried her heart out in his arms, but Bobby never opened his eyes. The second time, he came into her room one night, waking her from a recurring nightmare. As vulnerable and weak as she felt sobbing against him, Bobby only offered words of comfort. She had clung to him desperately, as if his simply being there could keep her demons at bay. Despite how out of character and foolish she felt, Bobby never said anything about it. He held her until she could calm herself, and stayed in her room the rest of the night.

She had felt so foolish asking him to stay, but the need to have him there was stronger. She can't explain the things that were going on between them, but by having him close, she was able to latch onto his dreams and keep her nightmares from returning. At the diner, Bobby was able to see a memory of hers despite her not projecting it to him, and he had come to her room because he could hear Emma's screams in his mind. She has no explanation for why this is happening and she is certain Bobby doesn't either. Emma toys with the idea of talking to Hank about it, but neither of them has told Hank about the strange occurrences. She wants to wait until Bobby wakes up. She wants to talk to him first and foremost.

Her door opens, immediately jarring her from her thoughts. The chauffeur holds out his hand, assisting her out of the limousine.

"Thank you." She says politely.

He simply nods acknowledgment, holding the large umbrella above them as he walks her to the entrance. As he leaves her at the elevator, Emma is relieved that she is finally alone to her vices. It's been a long and eventful day and its starting to wear on her. Her headache is finally subsiding, but the exhaustion and fatigue she feels is taking its place. She cannot wait to get into her penthouse so that she can take a hot bath and down a strong drink or two. Tomorrow morning will bring another school day and more stress, but for now she simply wants to wind down and forget it all.

* * *

To be continued….


End file.
